The truth is 85

  At night, the mountain road is winding and far. Jingci Temple is about a day's journey from Beijing, if you start from the Summer Palace, it will take one and a half to two days. Therefore, Gong Xiangru brought people, set off early, exactly one day earlier, following the imperial edict. The reason why Li Zimo sent him to Jingci Temple was simple. Since the two old empress dowagers had been devoted to Buddhist studies in Jingci Temple all along, how could they suddenly change their minds and run back to the palace? Even if someone instigated them, there must be some sign.

  What's most feared is that it's not just a matter of being incited by others. Especially considering the two old empress dowagers are already advanced in age, each with an age of nearly two hundred years.

  After entering the divine register, a person's age will naturally be higher than that of ordinary people. However, two hundred years is no longer an ordinary number. As a doctor, Gong Xiangru has long been studying in secret, and throughout history, those who can live to be over two hundred years old are few and far between. They are either high-ranking hermits hiding from the world or masters who have entered temples. It's likely that after escaping the calamity of being buried alive with their ancestors, these two elderly empresses retreated to Qingji An to preserve their wisdom and live a long life of over one hundred years. If they had left the temple lightly, their lives would not have been so long.

  Who wouldn't want to live a longer life? But thinking about it, the sudden actions of the two old empress dowagers are illogical, even if they were for the sake of competing for the imperial harem. Why start competing now? The reason is absurd and doesn't make sense.

  It's just that these two hundred years have always made people think of the Stone Lord mentioned by Sun Mou, who is also two hundred years old?

  Doubts arise. Must go to Jingci Temple.

  He didn't send a military general, but instead had this doctor and Minister of Justice go, and Li Zimo still gave it some consideration. In terms of investigation and gathering evidence, undoubtedly, no one can compare to him.

  The road is long and distant. Gong Xiang rode his horse quickly for a day and night, suddenly remembering a scroll of words that his sister had hung in the study. To accomplish something, it's absolutely not that simple. Among the people of the Gong family, his sister's patience was the strongest.

  "Sir, it's just up ahead."

  The little scout rode back on his swift horse, whipping it with a small whip to report the news.

  Jing Ci An is located in a small, inconspicuous mountain range. Because this was the place where Empress Dowager and Grand Empress Dowager decided to retire, it made the small mountain and the small nunnery famous. To prevent others from disturbing their retirement, the two elderly empress dowagers urged the previous emperor to keep their location a secret from the day they retired. As a result, only Li Zi Mo knew where Jing Ci An was located after inheriting the oral decree from the previous emperor.

  The little soldier exploring the road is holding a map drawn by Gong Xiangyu to find his way. Now, it is said that he has found a small path leading into the mountains, with stone tablets standing upright to guide the royal family on their journey, which should be correct.

  Gong Xiangru arrived at the crossroads in a hurry, and saw that there was a stone monument among the bushes, with some words carved on it by his ancestors. Just as everyone was about to continue along this road, Gong Xiangru suddenly changed his mind and went up another path from behind the mountain. Anyway, as long as the location is right, it's all right.

  At this time, the sky was already dark. The mountains were almost pitch black and you couldn't see your fingers in front of you. After walking a certain distance from Jingci Temple, the scout returned to report that Jingci Temple was also completely dark.

  Is there nobody in the hut?

  It stands to reason that even if the two old empress dowagers have gone down the mountain, there should still be some people left in this temple to help the two old empress dowagers take care of things. Because the two old empress dowagers said they would return to preside over the central palace, but it's not necessarily that they will come back soon.

  "Not entering the temple." Palace Inspector Like quickly made a decision, "Search around the temple."

  "What are you looking for, sir?"

  "Searching..." Gong Xiangru bowed her head in contemplation, slightly furrowing her brow, "See if there are any signs of living people."

  I'm afraid they won't even leave a single word of explanation for them.

  He brought a hundred people with him this time, and they began to disperse, searching according to his orders. They searched from night till day, and after half a day's effort, mist rose in the forest, making the place seem even more eerie. Gong Xiangyu walked slowly back and forth on the ground, counting his steps with his head down, his eyes seemed to have sunk deeper due to two days of staying up all night, and his cheeks looked even thinner.

  If he can't find what they need here, it means the danger to those returning to the palace, including his sister and little nephew, will only increase. He must find a clue. As he clenched his fist in the woods, a scent seemed to come from somewhere.

  "Do you smell something?" Jing Xiangru suddenly raised his head.

  The people following him all shook their heads. Only Liu, the sixth uncle who came with him from home, sniffed hard with his nose and then gestured to him: sandalwood.

  Yes, sandalwood. Originally, Jing Ci An was here, and it's normal to have sandalwood. However, the fact that Jing Ci An is completely dark and deserted indicates that no one is there, but there is still sandalwood, which is too strange.

  Jing Xiangru didn't say another word, and had someone go to a nearby farmhouse to find some dogs. Once the two or three dogs were brought over, they immediately followed the scent. A dog's sense of smell is much more sensitive than a human's, and the three dogs leading the way in front suddenly started running in the same direction.

  People followed behind the dog, only to see that the dogs in front of them were running like crazy, extremely fast, and disappeared into the forest in an instant. Seeing this situation, Gong Xiangru waved his hand. Liu Shu nodded, and launched the Gong family's kung fu. Whoosh, a gust of wind blew up, and people had run to several dozen feet away. Gong Xiangru led the rest of the people, continuing to follow in the direction that Liu Shu had gone.

  When they found the way and arrived at the place where Liu Shu was, Liu Shu had already started to clear away the stones. It seemed that there was a cave embedded in the cliff wall, with a pile of broken rocks blocking the entrance of the cave. There might be other secret passages leading into the cave, but searching for them would take too much time, so it's better to just break through the entrance.

  So dozens of people rushed up and cleared away the stones.

  Mingxiang was calculating the time, and suddenly found a clue, but another day had passed. He didn't know if his sister's family and Shengshang were safe or not. But no matter what, he must find someone on this side!

  "Sir!"

  Only a loud shout was heard, and the cave opened up a small path that could accommodate one person crawling in. Liu Shu tried to touch the stone first and go in. After Liu Shu went in, he may have seen something and immediately gestured outward: someone, alive!

  At this time, there was a commotion on the top of the cave. The soldiers near the cave all retreated half a step, and saw that the mountain body swayed slightly, with small stones falling down from above non-stop. It seems that there is still a danger of collapse at any time. If the stone blocks are blocked again, it's unknown how long it will take to dig again. Gong Xiangru made a decisive decision, letting one person crawl in again to work together with Liu Shu to pass the person out from inside.

  Two soldiers listened to the order and crawled into the cave. The small rocks had covered half of the small tunnel entrance that they had just dug out with great difficulty. They could only continue digging while shouting for people to hurry up and pass those inside out.

  At this time of busy division, due to the small stones on the top of the mountain constantly falling down, more and more soldiers were injured. A group of people were anxious like fire. Gong Xiangru's eyes sank, seeing that the people inside couldn't bring out the hostages, probably because they had encountered some obstacles, even Liu Shu couldn't solve it.

  Liu Shu is an old man of the Gong family, with the most accomplished kung fu and a certain degree of mastery in Taoist magic.

  "I'll go in," said Wang Xiangru.

  Several people around him, possibly having heard the imperial decree, feared that he would get into trouble and blocked his way: "Sir, let us go in."

  "You can't solve it by going in." After saying this, Gong Xiangru gave them a glance and walked straight to the entrance of the cave. Then, without hesitation, he crawled into the hole.

  Inside, at first, there was just a patch of darkness.

  "Be careful of your step, sir." The soldier who had entered first said hastily to him.

  He was startled, and only then did he feel that his foot had stepped on something soft and fluffy. It might be a snake or some kind of animal. The reason this thing hadn't been awakened was probably because it was dark inside and there were no lights. Therefore, he couldn't light a lamp now.

  Feeling his way in the dark, he kept walking forward, and Sixth Uncle held him with one hand, drawing characters on his palm.

  The two people trapped inside were bound by a complex spell, and their lives were already hanging by a thread. One wrong move could be fatal.

  "Who is it?"

  Actually, there's no need to ask this question. His eyes have already gotten used to the darkness and can vaguely make out people's faces in the cave.

  Two old women dressed in nun's robes, one each, were suspended like puppets on the two pillars that stood upright from floor to ceiling in the cave. The ropes binding them were not ordinary ropes but strips of cloth with characters written on them, forming a magical array.

  Miyao knew that just by glancing at the way the hostages were bound, it was an extremely rare secret technique. At least, trying to undo the technique on these two within a short period of time was impossible.

  So who are these two old nuns? Why are they being tied up here?

  This question seems to be unthinkable. Because, if it's an ordinary old nun, does the other party need to make such a big effort to set up an array? As long as you can connect that there is only one Jingci Temple nearby, and in Jingci Temple, the most dignified ones are just those two people, then the answer doesn't need to be thought about.

  Everyone was shocked. Didn't they say that the Empress Dowager and the Grand Empress Dowager had returned to the palace? If the two people bound here are indeed the two old empress dowagers, then who are the two old empress dowagers who returned to the palace?

  The answer can only be asked of the two old empress dowagers in front of him. As a doctor, there is an advantage to being able to scan with one glance and still vaguely distinguish which one has more energy to answer his questions. Walking to the front of the old nun on the left, Gong Xiangru lightly called out: "Your Majesty."

  The old nun on the pillar moved her eyelids slightly, and her lips moved slightly, it was unclear whether it was due to being tied up by the spell array, there was no sound, only lip language: Who is it?

  "This official, Xiāng Rú, is the Minister of Justice under His Majesty. As His Majesty is concerned about the health of the two imperial grandmothers, he has intentionally sent this official to pay a visit."

  Your Majesty?! The old nun opened her eyes with great effort and gazed at the person below with a thread of sight.

  Miyaori took out a piece of jade given by Lǐ Zǐ Mò, symbolizing imperial authority.

  The old nun saw the jade in his hand and was excited. Her lips moved hard: Hurry, tell the Holy One, kill those two impostors.

  "So, what you're saying is, Your Highness is...?"

  The old nun said: This palace is the Empress Dowager, and the other one who was tied up is the Grand Imperial Concubine Chen.

  "How did two princesses end up being tied up here?"

  The old nun said: This story is long. I can tell you and Shengshang that the demon, Taizu had expected it early, dragged him to bury with him, but unexpectedly, he didn't die, came back to life.

  Buried together?

  Gong Xiangru was shocked. If he didn't remember wrong, Ming Cheng Huang's great-grandfather ordered only one person to be buried with him, which was Empress Dowager Hu. However, it is said that this was because Empress Dowager Hu was seriously ill. Gong Xiangru flipped through the medical records of Empress Dowager Hu in the Imperial Hospital and mentioned that Empress Dowager Hu's body was weak and couldn't bear the weight of her illness, willing to die with the emperor she loved most.

  It is said that the Empress Dowager rose to her position because of her son, but in folk legend, the favorite concubine of the great-grandfather was actually Hu Tai Huang Tai Fei. Therefore, it seems only natural that Hu Tai Huang Tai Fei became the burial companion of the great-grandfather.

  But how did this beloved empress of his great ancestor become a demon in the mouth of the Empress Dowager?

  Only the Empress Dowager coldly laughed and said: Outsiders are just ignorant. I and Chen Shi are the clearest about it. Because we consider the face of our ancestors, for the sake of our ancestors, we keep secrets. Our ancestors have long since stopped favoring women. This Hu Tai Huang Tai Fei is the male concubine of our ancestors.

  Awesome!

  One was a man's secret, which seemed to dispel all the mysteries before his eyes.

  Shi Daren, 200 years old. Has a long-standing relationship with the Sun Mansion. Also has connections with Empress Hu. Proficient in magic and can come and go freely at the Imperial Summer Resort, setting up ambushes. Appears to have ties with the Da Yan people as well.

  Few people are clearer than him. Because after the war with Dayuan, Li Zimo brought him, and it took so many years to carefully remove the Hu clan from the court officials alone.

  The Hu clan, Li Zimo had investigated the origin of Empress Dowager Hu's branch several times in private. After tracing back, it seemed that they were not ordinary wealthy families as recorded in the imperial palace. The rise of the Hu family to wealth and glory seemed to have started from the time when Empress Dowager Hu received the favor of the great-grandfather emperor. However, in the fragmented records of past dynasties, one could vaguely see some shadows with the surname Hu. For example, in the historical records of the 12th generation emperor, there was a passage that said that the emperor won a battle thanks to the help of a military strategist surnamed Hu.

  It seems that he has already guessed what's going on. The Empress Dowager said: "I and Chen Shi have been trapped here by that demon for seven long years."

  Seventy-eight years?

  Wasn't it when his sister was killed by Tian Jue?

  The Empress Dowager said: At the time of Gaozu's death, he had already regretted and was very resentful of having favored this person. Because later on, Gaozu only knew that this person actually mastered the art of Taoism, and had helped Sun Fu create a disaster-relief doll to deceive the imperial court into granting titles, land, and other privileges. Unfortunately, at that time, Gaozu was constrained by his dignity and could not tell Emperor Xian that he had taken a male concubine as the Empress, so Gaozu's reputation in history would be irretrievable. Moreover, Gaozu also allowed Emperor Xian to marry Hu Shi's daughter as his empress.

  Palace Minister Ruxiang asked: He tied up two princesses seven or eight years ago, was it to curse the palace empress to death?

  The Empress Dowager said: This demon has been greedy for the emperor's throne for a long time. When she was the queen, she had always competed with Ah Jia and Chen Shi for the imperial seal. Unfortunately, the great ancestor was an emperor who would not give the imperial seal to any woman. So, when he learned that the current emperor intended to give the imperial seal to the empress, this demon may have harbored evil intentions and began to plot to seize the imperial seal. In his view, as long as he got the imperial seal, the throne was almost within his grasp. Of course, when he tied us two up, it wasn't initially to curse the palace empress to death, because we wouldn't help him. It was just to prevent us from leaking the news, and at a certain time, like now, use us to counterattack the imperial palace.

  Who impersonated those two fake empresses in the palace?

  Those two fake Ah Jia and Chen Shi are not real people, but this demon, using the original bodies of us two, copied out puppets. Then, he again relies on the puppet. Ah Jia is unclear, who let him pretend to be Chen Shi, but it must be someone in cahoots with him, wanting to overthrow the Dongling imperial throne.

  "Two ladies, do you know how to break this person's spell?"

  The Empress Dowager looked at him with some doubt.

  Gong Mingshu said: "Before His Majesty left his post, he entrusted the local officials to ensure the safety and well-being of both princesses."

  The Empress Dowager's eyes welled up with tears: The late Emperor taught us well, the imperial grandson is filial, and our family is harmonious with the Chen family. We have no regrets even in death. That demon has kept us captive for so many years, leaving us with only a thread of life, just to use us on this day. Now that we've outlived our usefulness, we won't be able to stay in this world any longer.

  The palace is like a tightly closed eyebrow.

  Sixth Uncle pulled his sleeve, reminding him that the size of the cave entrance was getting smaller and smaller. The mountain body had been shaking all along, and if another big collapse came, they would probably be trapped to death with the two old empresses in this place.

  With Sixth Uncle's words, a massive mountain body shook violently, causing the stone blocks on top of the cave to fall to the ground with a rustling sound.

  The Empress Dowager's eyes suddenly flashed: You quickly leave! I and Chen Shi have our own fate, no need for the Emperor to consider it again. What you need to do is to hurry back and tell the Emperor all this.

  Gong Xiangru furrowed his brow again, and along with the others, he knelt down to pay respects to the two old empress dowagers. Immediately after, without even turning his head back, he led the group out of the cave entrance.

  Just as they had just crawled out of the cave entrance, the mountain collapsed, and a huge boulder that could hold dozens of people rolled down from the top of the mountain, blocking the entrance. The last soldier was unable to crawl out and was crushed to death by the boulders.

  It occurred to him that the demon man might have already sensed the movement here, so Gong Xiangru ordered someone to release a flying eagle first and report back to the imperial palace at the earliest. At the same time, he led his men to hurry back to the capital.

  The residence of a noble family.

  After a night of revelry, Qi Yunyan got up early and went to the county master's room to accompany her for breakfast and tea.

  Li Ji Yao wasn't used to waking up early, but since she was living in someone else's home, she couldn't be too reckless. She got out of bed with the help of San Qi. Qi Yunyan seemed to leave no trace, but glanced at the thing tied around Li Ji Yao's waist by San Qi. Li Ji Yao noticed her gaze and smiled, saying: "Why is everyone so interested in this trinket that the county lord wears on his waist?"

  Qī Yún's eyes drooped slightly.

  Li Jiya jumped off the bed, took off the ring-shaped jade pendant from her waist and handed it to her: "Come on, study it carefully, see if this thing that claims to be a protective charm can really protect you."

  "Your Ladyship!"

  "Hey, you don't understand. The young lady of this county has long known that the talent and emotion of Miss Qi's family is not inferior to that of Lin's talented woman, it's just that one is low-key and humble, while the other likes to show off everywhere." Li Jiuyao said with a big smile.

  Qī Yún yān jiē guò yù pèi xiǎng huán gěi tā, yòu bèi tā shǒu jù le huí lái, zhǐ néng shuō: "nà jùn zhǔ jiè wǒ bàn rì, chén nǚ bāng jùn zhǔ chá chá shǐ shū, kàn shì fǒu yǒu lèi sì de jì zǎi."

  It's said that as long as it's just in the mansion, borrowing for a short while won't be discovered by the eldest princess and her husband, the crown prince. With three sevens covering my chest, I might still have a breath of life left.

  Li Ji Yao sat down and saw Qi Yunyan holding a jade pendant, seemingly noticing the fragrance sachet on her waist. She smiled: "Miss Qi has good taste. This sachet was given to me by my imperial sister-in-law, saying it can ward off evil spirits since I'm not in good health. Strangely, before this, I would occasionally have nightmares. But after my sister-in-law gave it to me, my sleep improved greatly. Do you want it? I'll give it to you for research. However, I won't lend it to you for half a day; without it, I'm restless. If you borrow it, I'll lend it to you for the time of one incense stick."

  Upon hearing this, Qi Yunyan hastily said: "Since it's the Empress Dowager who personally ensured the safety of the item for the young lady, and it will be beneficial for the young lady to carry it with her, it would be best if the young lady didn't casually take it off."

  Li Ji-yao nodded and rubbed her palm against the sachet: "The Empress is really kind to me."

  Qī Yún Yān poured her tea, then walked out to personally check if the special breakfast for the princess was ready. As she left the princess's chamber and headed towards the kitchen, she saw a figure sneaking through the bamboo forest in the backyard, seemingly heading towards the back door. Qī Yún Yān narrowed her eyes and called out: "Jīn Māmā."

  "Ah, I'm here." The old nun who was about to slip out the back door hastily stuffed the things in her hand into her bosom and turned around to respond.

  Qiyun Yan walked up to her and saw that she was drenched in sweat. She seemed surprised and asked, "Aren't you supposed to be serving the mistress inside?"

  "The lady told the old slave to go out and take care of some things."

  "Why take the back door?"

  "The back... The back door is closer."

  "What's going on?"

  "Miss, what Madam has ordered me to do is definitely not something that can be told to others. Otherwise, Miss can ask Madam herself." Jin Laoba said with a fake smile.

  Qī Yún-yān looked at her for a while. During this time, Jīn Mǔ's sweat kept dripping down, fearing that she would discover the thing hidden in her bosom. It seemed that Qī Yún-yān had really guessed something. The more Jīn Mǔ thought about it, the more frightened she became. If that Stone gentleman were to find out, who knows what he would do to the two of them again.

  "Auntie, after you've finished with Madam's affairs, come to my room. I have some things that need your help to put away."

  "Miss, what does the young lady want me to pick up?"

  "In the past, I got some things from Gong Xiaojie when we were together. Now that Gong Xiaojie has returned to the palace, keeping these things would be useless, and who knows, they might even bring trouble, so it's better to get rid of them, burning them is also an option." Qiyun Yan said calmly.

  Jin Yini heard this and a hint of anxiety flashed across her face: "Miss, it's possible that the Empress Dowager is thinking of you. If Miss were to casually burn these things, wouldn't that be... wasting an opportunity? Perhaps if the Empress Dowager finds out in the future, she will..."

  "What's going to happen? I've already lost the two jade pendants she gave me."

  Jin Aya let out a cold breath. Before her, Qi Yunyan's gaze was like a splash of cold water on her face. Jin Aya could only shiver all over.

  "Is it you who stole it? Grandma."

  "Miss, I've been serving in the Qi manor for so many years, doing my best to serve Master and Mistress and you, how could I...". As she spoke, Jin Yuxiang knelt down, and with a sudden movement, the jade pendant hidden in her bosom fell out and landed on the ground. Jin Yuxiang's face turned white as paper.

  Qiyunyan's fingertips picked up the jade block on the ground.

  "Miss, I'm telling you the truth, this old slave didn't steal it. This old slave doesn't have the ability to sneak into your room and steal things!"

  "So you're saying it was the lady who stole it?"

  Jin Yini took a deep breath. At the same time, she could only say with tears in her eyes: "Miss, please hand over the jade block to me, otherwise, Madame's life will be hard to save."

  "Of course I will return the jade block to you."

  The old woman looked up at her in surprise.

  Qiyun Yan said: "I just borrowed it back to study carefully, to see if it's the one Miss Gong gave me. In case you send it over and mistakenly harm Madame's life."

  Jin Laopo heard this and immediately stood up, following her to her boudoir.

  In the palace, after a sleepless night. The young prince had a nightmare and couldn't fall asleep, he just stared blankly at his younger brother beside him, occasionally touching the little eater's head, as if afraid that the little eater would suddenly disappear like in his nightmare.

  Upon receiving the news, a certain father walked into the Guangyang Hall. After listening to Zhang Gonggong's detailed report, Li Zimo stood outside the account, looking at the silhouettes of his two sons, and the light in his eyes flashed by, but he never took another step further.

  Some things should be made clear to the young prince, his eldest son. No matter how good the brotherly feelings are, they must be put in their proper place. The young prince is the elder brother and must have the position of an elder brother.

  After all, he was worried about his two sons and did not return to the Moon Room Palace, but instead stayed in the Guangyang Hall tonight to keep an eye on his two sons.

  Li Shunde saw that he was in a state of emotional turmoil, sometimes good and sometimes bad. It's hard for anyone to understand. Because the Empress returned to the palace to preside over the imperial court, all the people cheered, it should be a good thing no matter how you think about it. Why did Li Zimo still look like he was under pressure?

  Being a slave is ultimately due to being less intelligent than one's master.

  I heard that the master who just returned to the Moon Palace also had a sleepless night.

  The green tiger saw its master sitting alone at the palace gate for a whole night. As soon as it was dawn, he stretched out his hand to cover his mouth and yawned. He saw an eagle flying from afar in the mountains.

  Seeing the flying eagle rushing towards the imperial palace, Yun Chenjing stood up and said with a hint of solemnity in his blue eyes, "I'm afraid Gong Xiangyu has sent a reply."

  Gong Xiangru was secretly sent by the emperor to handle matters. It can be seen that the secret has been revealed. Following this, a storm of predictable consequences arose.

  Actually, as early as last night, Li Zimo had already dispatched troops and secretly surrounded the Yongshou Palace.

  The sound of drums echoed through the palace at dawn.

  In the Yongshou Palace, the Empress Dowager Chen was keeping watch over Niang Cui. Her head, which had been nodding off to sleep on the desk, suddenly jerked up as if splashed with water, and she woke up with a start, breaking out in a cold sweat. After keeping vigil for one night, Niang Cui still hadn't woken up. Chen became somewhat flustered, pacing back and forth around Niang Cui's bedside, muttering to herself: Could it be that they've already been discovered? Should she make her escape first, then think of something else later?

  At this time, a palace maid slipped in and whispered to her ear: "I heard that the Empress said she had just returned to the palace and needed to visit relatives everywhere. She wants to go to the residence of the Grand Princess Consort, the aunt of the Emperor, to pay respects."

  "Chen sat down on the chair with a plop, muttering to himself: 'Palace Empress, Palace Witch, Palace... something. I've known for a long time that this person is either not human or a demon, seemingly able to predict everything like a god.'"

  The palace maid didn't understand what she was muttering about, and only saw her suddenly tilt her head to one side, close her eyes, and just like Nian Ci, stop moving altogether.

  The residence of Princess Chang.

  The Empress Dowager had just risen when she heard someone at the gate of the mansion reporting that Her Majesty the Empress had arrived.

  Last night, Beijing was like a hurricane had passed through, leaving a trail of destruction. The officials were at a loss, but the common people were jubilant. The residence of Princess Hejing was no exception, and it became a refuge for many people once again. However, this time, even she herself seemed to have lost control over her own fate. Therefore, those people who came to observe her, seeing that she too was bewildered and at a loss, could only sigh and leave.

  In the past, without an empress in the imperial palace, it was equivalent to her being here and Empress Hu's place being equivalent to the imperial palace. After Empress Hu's death, her status rose even higher. Because everyone knew that Li Zimo would not establish an empress. Even if Li Zimo changed his mind and established an empress, she should be the one who came up with the idea and recommended it to Li Zimo.

  The status of this princess's mansion has always been very delicate, in the whirlpool of emperors and courts throughout history, trying to be wise and self-preserving has already exhausted the princess's energy.

  "Has Her Majesty the Queen come alone?" asked the Grand Princess.

  "Yes, Princess. The carriages are at the door."

  It is said that the Empress Dowager can only be helped up by others and walk to the door to welcome the imperial carriage. As she walks, she recalls the various things about the late Palace Queen. In her impression of this Palace Queen, Li Zimeng's queen, the Empress Dowager can only leave a shadow that often hides behind Hu Taihou. At that time, it was said that Hu Taihou loved this daughter-in-law and treated her extremely well, so naturally, this daughter-in-law was filial to Hu Taihou, and everything was done with Hu Taihou's consent. The relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was so good that everyone couldn't guess what was going on inside. However, the Empress Dowager had dealt with Hu Taihou for a long time, no, it wasn't until after the Palace Queen died, and she interacted with Hu Taihou again, that she gradually came to understand that Hu Taihou was a typical person who spoke one way but thought another.

  Look, Empress Hu has just died, and suddenly the palace empress comes back to life. Although His Majesty points all the accusations at Sun's mansion, however, with a little thought, it is clear that this is to cover up the ugly scandal within the imperial family.

  The Grand Princess rubbed her temples with her fingertips, feeling a throbbing vein because she didn't have a deep impression of the Empress Dowager and suddenly felt like she didn't understand this person at all, which made her feel a bit flustered.

  What's meant to be will always find its way, and what's not won't be avoided.

  Arrived at the gate, it's Feng's carriage.

  The Grand Princess and a retinue of people from the Princess's residence, formed up in an orderly line, came out to greet them.

  The carriage door opened, and a woman stepped down from the carriage. Her figure was naturally elegant and refined, but amidst the elegance that women of her status were accustomed to, there seemed to be an additional layer of unbridled freedom that couldn't be described.

  The Empress Dowager was a simple woman, only seeing the Queen Mother stepping down from her throne, wearing casual clothes, with a simple hairpin on her head, not looking very majestic and noble, but just a pair of bright almond-shaped eyes, already showing off her glory and dignity.

  What made the Empress Dowager's heart skip a beat was that she felt a sense of familiarity with this person in front of her. Based on her experience of being with the Queen seven or eight years ago, it shouldn't be like this.

  The Empress Dowager seemed to have a close relationship with her, and smiled: "I heard that the Princess had a lantern festival in the mansion? I don't know if those colorful lanterns have been removed? Can you let me feast my eyes?"

  The Empress Dowager replied after a moment of silence: "These lanterns will be left in the palace, but it's not suitable to light them during the daytime."

  "It's nothing. I just wanted to take a stroll with Your Highness and look at those lanterns along the way."

  The other party stretched out their hand, seemingly wanting to make amends. But why did the princess feel a chill run up her spine? As she reached out to take the other person's hand, she trembled slightly. Just then, the other person drew near and suddenly asked, "How is the princess's husband?"

  The Grand Princess shivered inexplicably. Then, as if remembering, she should have brought the Prince Consort to the door to welcome the Empress Dowager together. The Prince Consort was not there, which was somewhat improper. The Empress Dowager took offense at this, and it was also reasonable. The Grand Princess hastily made an explanation: "Recently, the Prince Consort has contracted a cold and is resting in the house. Knowing that Your Majesty is coming, he should have gone to the door to welcome Your Majesty, but the doctor said that the Prince's illness might be contagious, so I didn't dare let him go to the door to welcome Your Majesty."

  "Really?" Upon hearing this, the other person seemed taken aback and then said, "Oh dear, so the rumor is true."

  "Rumor?"

  "Yes, I've heard that before visiting the Grand Princess's residence, it was said that the Grand Princess's mansion had been troubled by the previous incident of Consort Suo being possessed. Some people say that after Consort Suo left, the Prince became ill. It's hard not to associate one with the other."

  The Empress's heart sank. If the other party hadn't brought it up, she really wouldn't have thought of this. The time when the Marquis fell ill was roughly around the same time as when Consort Su left.

  "It just so happens that Wang, the imperial physician who examined Consort Su's pulse, has been brought along by me this time."

  With these words, Imperial Physician Wang stepped out from the row of attendants behind him and bowed to Princess Chang: "Your humble servant pays his respects to Your Highness."

  The princess's eyes stared straight at the royal physician, thinking of what happened after he went in to see Jin Suqin, a series of major events occurred one after another, how could she not feel a chill run down her spine.

  "Let's go and see the Emperor. Otherwise, His Majesty will blame me. When I return to the palace, I won't be able to share His Majesty's worries or show concern for his aunt and uncle. It would be my fault."

  The princess was stunned for half a moment, and when she came to her senses, she saw that the empress had already led a group of people to the direction of the crown prince's residence, her expression suddenly turned solemn, and she hastily followed up.

  The people who were guarding the Marquis's mansion at the front gate didn't have the ability to stop Feng Jia. Hua Xiyan passed through the gates and beheaded the generals, it was very easy for her.

  Arrived at the Marquis's residence, ordered the two men in front to open the door.

  The princess hastily followed in, and saw that the prince was already sitting in the hall, dressed neatly, as if waiting for them to arrive.

  Her eyebrows slightly raised.

  The groom stood up and knelt down to salute her: "I pay my respects to Your Highness."

  "The crown prince is not ill and cannot recover? Hurry up and get out of bed." said Hua Xiuyan.

  The son-in-law stood up. Everyone sat down. The princess ordered someone to serve tea.

  Huā Yù Rán said, "Royal Doctor Wang, take a look at the Marquis."

  "I obey your orders." The royal physician stepped forward and ran to the face of the imperial son-in-law.

  The eunuch rolled up one sleeve and exposed his wrist for the royal physician to take his pulse, while with his other hand he lifted his sleeve to cover his mouth and coughed lightly.

  The Empress Dowager seemed to be deeply worried by his coughing.

  The imperial physician, Wang, had taken the pulse for half the night and loosened his fingers before answering: "Your Majesty, the crown prince has contracted a cold. In my opinion, the condition is not severe, and several doses of medicine should alleviate it."

  "Let's start the medicine." Huā Xīyán said.

  The royal physician walked over and wrote out a prescription.

  The Grand Princess saw that everything was fine, her face clearly showing a hint of relaxation, and she thanked the Empress with an ease that was like before, saying: "Your Majesty's and Your Highness' concern is to ensure the health and safety of the Crown Prince, and his speedy recovery."

  "Hmm, I've got a number in mind. After seeing the prince, his illness shouldn't take more than two days to recover from." Huayu Yan's tea lid slowly slid over the rim of the cup as she took a sip of tea.

  The faces of Princess Chang and her husband, however, were both crossed with an inexplicable expression.

  "What about the county lord?" Hua Xiyan seemed to have scanned the surroundings and didn't see any sign of Li Jiayao.

  "The princess went to the Qi manor and has recently become close with the young lady of the Qi household, planning to rest there for a few days." The Empress Dowager replied.

  Huayu's hand brushed against the empty wrist of her left hand: "Earlier, the county master gave this palace a silver cuff. This palace recently had no choice but to pass it on to someone else. Really want to find the county master to explain this matter."

  As soon as she finished speaking, there was a loud crash. The Empress Dowager turned her head back faster than anyone else. The Emperor suddenly slid down from his chair, and the teacup in his hand fell to the ground and shattered into powder.

  "Prince! Prince!" The Grand Princess rushed forward and supported the prince, exclaiming in shock.

  The groom lay in her arms, his eyes tightly closed, motionless.

  The imperial physician hastily walked up and took the pulse of the king's son-in-law, his three fingers on the wrist only slightly pressed down, his expression greatly changed.

  The Empress saw that his pulse-taking hand was shaking violently, and she was so anxious that tears were about to burst out. She asked: "What's wrong with the Emperor? Tell me!"

  Wang the imperial physician this time learned to be clever, first retreated, and directly retreated to the door where he could run away at any moment, before kneeling down to answer: "Your humble servant will report back to the princess's palace and the empress that the prince consort must have been possessed by an evil spirit."

  The Grand Princess's face flashed with a pale blue light, and she suddenly turned around, looking at Hua Yu Nian's body. Her eyes widened to the size of cowbells: "Is it all your doing? I, the Grand Princess, can vouch for myself that whether before or after the Empress Dowager returned, I have never done anything disloyal to the Empress. Empress, aren't you being too excessive, even going so far as to poison the Crown Prince?"

  "The princess is saying this, has already determined that the death of Empress Dowager was caused by me?"

  The princess's lips trembled: "Isn't it, isn't it?"

  "Alas." Hua Yuexian sighed softly, "To clear my own name, I can only do my best to help the princess find her husband back."

  "What did you say?"

  "Your Highness, could it be that you don't know that the prince wants a divorce from Your Highness?"